Type or matrix for typographical composing machines



April5, 1932. A, ARCHER 1,851,964

TYPE OR MATRIX FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 21, 19292-Sheets-Sheet 1 BY 1% m? I April 5, 1932. I A. ARCHER TYPE OR MATRIXFOR TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES a 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 21,1929 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 5, 1932' UNITED STATES PAT NT; OFFICE ALFREDARCHER, OF CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR,TO MERGENTHALER.LTNO- TYPECOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TYPE OR MATRIX FOR TYPOGRAPHICALCOMPOSING MACHINES Application filed December 21, 1929. Serial No.415,665.

This invention relates to typographical composing machines, such aslinotype machines of the general organization represented in U. S.Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler,

5 No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazinein the order in which their characters are to appear in print and thencomposed in line in an assembler or assembling elevator, the composedline then transferred through an intermediate guide or channel into avertically movable transporter or first elevator which presents it to amold, whereupon the mold is filled with molten metal to form a slug orlinotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon,and the matrices thereafter elevated and returned through a distributingmechanism to the magazine from which they started. More particularly, itrelates to that class of machines designed to handle matrices providedwith two or more superposed characters, and wherein the assemblingelevator, intermediatechannel, and first elevator are each provided withtwo sets of supporting rails whereby the matrices may be composed andmaintained at an upper or lower level, or both, as desired, to locatethe selected characters in operative position.

In. the use of head-letter, or display matrices, or matrices with singlecharacters above 14: point, it is the usual practice to assemble andmaintain such matrices not at the upper level as would. otherwise berequired, but at the lower level, and then to arrest the first elevatorin a slightly raised position so as to locate the characters oppositethe mold slot, such arrest of the elevator being ordinarily effected bya stop member on the vise frame and adapted to be thrown into action atthe will of the operator. The foregoing practice has given rise to veryserious objections, as it frequently happens that an operator, throughoversight or carelessness, will assemble the said matrices at the upperlevel while the elevator stop is in action, which will result in theimproper presentation of the matrix line to: the mold and hence producea squirt, or cause damage to the parts, or both.

The present invention is intended to overcome the above objection andaims to provide head-letter or display matrices which will'always beassembled in the lower position without regard to the adjustment of themachine parts, that is to say, whether the assembler rail and the stopmember are either orboth in operative or inoperative position. 'In thepreferred embodiment illustrated,the improved matrices are formed asusual with upper and lower pairs of supporting lugs or. ears (whichproject from the front and'rear edges of the matrices and are located inthe same vertical plane), but the lower front ears, instead of beingarranged directly opposite the lower rear ears as customary, aresituated at a higher level on the matrix bodies. The difference in thelevel of these lower frontand rear lugs is made to correspond with thedistance in level between the upper assembler rail, known as the duplexrail (which is adjustably mounted in the front wall of the assemblingelevator and serves to determine the level of the twoletter matricesduring composition, as well as to support them intheir upper position),and the lower assembler rails (which are fixed to the front and rearwalls of the assembling elevator and support the matrices in theirlowerposition). Consequently, when the improved head-letter matrices arecomposed in line in the assembling elevator, they will 211- ways clearthe duplex rail, whether it occupies its operative or projectingposition or occupies its inoperative or withdrawn posi- 85 tion. In theformer case, which of course is the only one need be considered, theduplex rail cannot intercept the incoming matrices, due to the raisedposition of their front lower ears, and the matrices therefore pass ontothe lower fixed rails where they are supported in the lower position asrequired. The action of the parts is as though the lower front ears'ofthe matrices were entirely omitted, as might actually be done, so thatthe matrices are in- 95 capable of support in the assembling elevatorexcept in the lower position.

In this connectiomit willbe understood that the ordinary two-lettermatrices are not changed in form and cantherefore be commo posed in theassembling elevator in an upper or lower position as before and inexactly the same way. In other words, this invention does not involveany change whatever in the standard machine or in the regular two-lettermatrices, but contemplates only a change in the single characterhead-letter or display matrices, although this change is merely one oflocation of the lower front ears of such matrices, which otherwiseremain the same as heretofore. It is in this simple way that theobjections before noted are done away with, making it entirelyunnecessary to resort to the use of safety devices or attachments suchas are now in use upon the commercial machines. While as above statedthe lower front ears might be entirely omitted from the improvedmatrices, they are retained in their new location in order to enable thematrices to be more readily handled by the various machine elementsduring their travel or circulation through the machine.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a linotype machine equippedwith the improved matrices; Fig. 2'is a perspective view showing bycomparison a regular two-letter matrix and an improved head-lettermatrix, the former being shown at two different composing levels and thelatter at a single (lower) level;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the assemblingelevator, showing by the full lines animproved matrix assembled at thelower level therein and by the dotted lines a regular two-letter matrixassembled at the upper level; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the casting mechanism showing thefirst elevator supporting a line of the improved matrices in operativerelation to the mold.

' As shown in Fig. '1, the regular two-letter matrices X and the singleletter display matrices Y are stored in the respective magazines A, Aand are adapted to be released therefrom in the usual way by themanipulation of the keyboard B, whence they pass into the assemblingelevator C wherein they are composed in line. After composition of theline, the elevator C is raised into registration with the intermediatechannel D, such movement of theelevator tripping the transfer carriageE, which thereupon shifts the composed line to the left into the firstelevator or transporter F. The first elevator then descends to locatethe line before the casting mold G, which immediately advances from therear into en gagement therewith preparatory to the casting operation,all as well understood in the art.

As previously indicated, the assembling elevator C, the intermediatechannel I), and

the first elevator F are each provided with two sets of supporting railsfor sustaining the matrices at the upper or lower level, as

required. This construction is so well known that no detaileddescription thereof seems necessary, but, to identify the parts, it maybe noted (see the dotted lines, Fig. 3) that the two-letter matrices Xaresustained at the upper level in the assembling elevator C by theengagement of their lower front projecting ears m with the retractableduplex rail C or at the lower level by the engagement of both the frontand rear lower ears with the fixed supporting rails C Those matricesassembled at the upper level will be sustained in the first elevator Fat a corresponding level by the engagement of their lower front earswith the retractable rail F or at the lower level by the engagement oftheir upper projecting ears m with the fixed rails F (see Fig. 4).

The mold G (herein shown as of the recessed variety used only forcasting from the larger or head-letter matrices Y) is formed with asingle horizontal groove G wherein the rear or aligning ears 3 of thesematrices engage, whereas the type of mold most commonly employed isprovided with two such grooves, in one or the other of which thealigning ears of the regular two-letter matrices engage according to thelevel at which they are sustained in the first elevator.

In the normal operation of the machine,

the first elevator F is allowed to descend to its lowermost position asdetermined by the engagement of its set screw F with the top of the viseframe H. At the same time, a second set screw F with which the elevatoris also provided, is adapted to engage and depress the vise automatic H,as the elevator comes to rest so that the cycle of the operation maycontinue. However, for reasons previously noted.'the machine is usuallyequipped with a stop member J which may be thrown into action at will toarrest the elevator in a raised position with reference to the mold G asshown in Fig. 4:, but when the elevator is thus arrested, it isnecessary that the matrices be sustained therein at the lower level, asotherwise the objections before mentioned will arise. Thus, if thedisplay matrices Y were sustained at the upper level as indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. l, it is evident that their rear lower ears wouldfail to engage in the aligning groove G of the mold G as the latteradvances from the rear, so that injury to the parts or a bad squirtwould necessarily result.

As before stated, the improved head-letter or display matrices Y areidentical in form or contour with the regular two-letter matrices Xexcept as to location of their lower front ears. Thus (see Fig. 2) likethe regular two-letter matrix X, the in'iproved matrix Y is formed atthe top and on its front and rear edges with projecting ears y (also thecustomary distributing combination 3 and at the bottom and on its frontand rear edges in AU with projectingears y and g respectively.

However, it is pointed out that t e lowerfront ear :2/ of the improvedmatrix Y is located on the matrix body at a higher level than the rearear 1 thus distinguishing from the regular matrix X whose lower earsa:are arranged directly opposite each other or at the same level. It isthis difference in location of the ear g which constitutes the essenceofthe present invention.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the duplex rail C isprojected into the composing channel of the'assembling elevator C andyet that the matrix Y is shown as standingat the lower level in theelevator. This is because of the raised position of the lower front ear1 whose level above that of the lower rear ear g is fixed according tothe different levels of the upper retractable rail C and the lower fixedrails C (see also Fig. 2). In other words, the matrix is so formed thatits lower front car i will stand above the upper rail C while its lowerrear ear y will rest upon the rear one of the lower rails C Accordingly,the matrices Y can only be composed in the assembling elevator at onelevel, namely, the lower level, even though the rail C may be set in itsprojected or operative position, as in Fig. 3. In the case of theregular two-letter matrices X, on the other hand, they will be composedat the upper or lower level in the assembling ele vator according to theposition of the rail 0 In Fig. 3, the dot-ted lines show a twolettermatrix X as supported at the upper level by the rail 0 this being due tothe nonraised location of its lower front ear.

While in Fig. 3 the lower front car of the matrix Y is shown restingupon the duplex rail C this specific relation of the parts is really notessential, since under normal conditions the matrix, would be maintained in the required upright position by the assembler gate C eventhough the ear 7 stopped short of the duplex rail C or were indeedentirely eliminated. The presence of this ear, however, is desirable forthe reason that (unless the front lower rail C were extended laterallybeneath the body of the matrix) the matrix might topple, forward or dropto the floor when the gage C is opened for access to the line (seedotted lines, Fig. 3). As it is. the ear 1 is adapted either to engagethe duplex rail, if it happens to be adjusted to its active position asshown in Fig. 3, or to engage the front side wall of the elevator, andthus support the matrices against forward displacement when the gate Cis swung down to its inactive position. Moreover, the ears 3 (which aspreviously stated are arranged in the same vertical plane with the otherears) are very useful in effecting the distribution of the matrices intotheir storage magazine, since they not only cooperate with threads ofthe lower distributor screw of the set usually employed for propellingthe matrices along the distributor bar, but also serve to guide thematrices into and through their respective magazine channels after theydrop from the bar.

It will now be seen that, as the improved matrices Y are beingcomposed," they will I be allowed to pass to the lower level in theassembler elevator C'irrespective of the adjusted position of the"duplex rail C the rear lower ears y being adapted to engage the rearone of the fixed rails C and the front ears 3 at such time clearing the.rail C and serving merely as a potential support which becomes effectivewhen access to the line is desired. After the composed line is shiftedhorizontally from the assembling elevator G into the first elevator F,the matrices will be supported by their upper projecting earsg upon'thefixed rails F 2 as shown in Fig. 4, the matrices being 'still maintainedat the lower level and the lower front ears idly engaging in thecimtomary groove f located immediately above the auxiliary rail F Whentherefore the first elevator descends and is arrested in its raisedposition by the engagement of its set screw F with the stop member J,the lower rear or aligning ears 3 of the matrices will be located inproper relation to the mold G (see Fig. 4). As the elevator comes torest, the

vise automatic H is depressed and the mold advanced into engagement withthe line preparatory to 'justification and the casting of the slug.

The invention has been herein shown merelyf-in preferred form and asapplied to a standard linotype matrix, but obviouslymany changes andvariations may be made therein which will still be comprised within itsspirit. For example, it might be adapted to other forms of matrices orto other kinds of typographical machines, such as those which handletype or dies instead of matrices. It should, therefore,be understoodthat the invention is not limited to any specific formor embodimentexcept insofar as such limita tions are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: j

1. A type or matrix formed at its lower end with a pair ofprojectingears located respectively at relatively different levels onthe front and rearedges thereof.

2. A type or matrix formed at its lower end with a pair of earsprojecting from the front and rear edges of the matrix, the level V ofthe front projecting car being definitely higher than that of the rearprojecting ear;

3. A type ormatrix formed at its lower end and on its front and rearedges with a pair of projecting ears, one of said ears being located atthe bottom of the matrix and the other being located at a definitelyhigher.

level.

: projecting ears located respectively at relatively different levels;

5. A type or matrix formed with upper and lower pairs of ears projectingfrom its front and rear edges, all of said ears being located in thesame vertical plane and the said lower projecting ears being located atrelatively different levels, for the purpose described.

6. A, type or matrix as specified in claim 5, characterized by the factthat the lower rear projecting ear is located at the bottom of thematrix and the lower front projecting ear is located at a predeterminedhigher level. V

7. A single character type or matrix formed at its upper end and on'itsopposite edges with a pair of projecting ears, and at its lower end andon opposite edges with a pair of projecting ears vertically aligned withthe upper ears but located respectivelyv at relatively different levels,for the purpose described.

8. A typographical machine equipped with single character matrices andprovided with an assembling elevator having an upper front rail and alower rear rail for supporting twoletter matrices at respectivelydifferent levels, the said single'character matrices each being formedat the bottom and on its rear edge with a projecting ear adapted toengage the said lower rail and having a portion of its front edge sodisposed that it lies in front of a vertical plane passing through therear edge of the said upper rail. V A

9. A typographical machine equipped with single character matrices andprovided with an assembling elevator having an upper front rail and alower rear rail for supporting twoletter matrices at respectivelydifferent levels, the said single character matrices each being formedat its lower end with a pair of ears projecting from its front and rearedges at relatively different levels so as to cooperate with both ofsaid rails simultaneously, for the purpose described.

10. A typographical machine equipped with single character matrices andprovided with an assembling elevator having an upper front retractablerail and a lower rear fixed rail for supporting two-letter matricesat'respectively different levels, said single character matrices eachbeing formed at the lower end with an ear projecting from its rear edgeand adapted to engage the said lower rail and on its front edge with anear projecting therefrom at ahigher level and adapted to engage the saidupper rail, whereby the matrices may be composed at the lower levelirrespective of the presence or absence of the front supporting rail.

11. A type or matrix presenting front and.

the front edge being devoid of a protruding.

ear located at the same level as the car on its rear edge. p

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly signed.

ALFRED ARCHER.

